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ARTICLE
| FEEDING FRESH PRODUCE © 1999-2007 LINDA S. RUBIN Adapted from an original article appearing in the August 1999 issue of BIRD TIMES magazine "All Rights Reserved" |
| People ask: "If I feed a well-balanced diet to my cockatiel, is it really necessary to provide fresh fruits and vegetables?" The answer depends upon what is contained in your "well-balanced diet." There are advantages to feeding pellets or extruded diets, in part, to cockatiels. While pelleted diets, in theory, are thought to meet the nutritional needs of our birds as best understood at this time, many manufacturers still recommend providing fresh produce to supplement the diet to all birds. (Also, cockatiels cannot be kept solely on a pelleted diet as many veterinarians explain, because they can experience kidney damage. Therefore, seed and other nutritious dietary items must be included). Fruits and vegetables add tremendous nutritional power to your bird's menu, and they act as challenging psychological devices to keep curious, busy beaks active and content. Unfortunately, we sometimes hear of neurotic behaviors and ingrained habits such as feather-picking activities being prompted by sheer boredom. Often times, the underlying cause to such behavior can be traced back to illness, an inadequate environment, or to malnutrition. A medical exam performed by an avian veterinarian will reveal if an illness is present. Adding produce to the diet can have a profound effect on stimulating a bird's playing environment, and on boosting a bird's nutritional intake. Vitamin A and Carotene Fresh food provides additional nourishment, and some produce are especially high in carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene and other antioxidants are essential in guarding good health. Most seed diets are lacking in vitamins (with the exception of some of the B complex group), thus vitamin supplements and fresh produce can be critical in providing the level of vitamin A crucial to good health. Avian veterinarians frequently cite malnutrition, and especially vitamin A deficiencies as a common culprit among their patients. The best defense then, is to provide a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to gain as many nutrients as possible, while frequently offering those foods known to be high in carotene or vitamin A. Red-Yellow-Orange Vegetables In general, the red-orange-yellow fruits and vegetables, and some of the green leafy vegetables, are the best sources of vitamin A. Carrots (with the tops), yams, hot or chili peppers, pumpkin, most of the squash family, and sweet potato are all high in vitamin A. It is best to serve carrots, peppers and sweet potato raw, since the process of cooking destroys vitamins; however, usually yams, pumpkin, and squash are better accepted when cooked. Carrot greens, especially, are very tempting to cockatiels, and I have known few birds to refuse a long bundle of freshly washed carrot tops once they become a familiar item in the diet. Owners may also grow their own shoots by placing carrot tops in a shallow dish of water, rinsing and refilling daily, then present the tops once the new shoots have grown one to two inches. Carrots are inexpensive, readily available, and one of the best vegetables to feed for vitamin A. Many breeders feed carrots to their birds by the pound several times a week. Green Leafy Vegetables Dark green, leafy, raw vegetables which cockatiels can be trained to enjoy include: dandelion (including the flower), collard greens, kale, sprouts, spinach, turnip greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, broccoli, escarole or chicory, beet greens, and bok choy. The first five items provide the richest sources of vitamin A; however the remaining items contain moderate levels of vitamin A along with other excellent nutrients. While some greens such as parsley are quite low in vitamin A, parsley does have the distinction of containing most of the amino acids which are the "building blocks" of proteins. Similarly, comfrey is the only land plant known to contain vitamin B12. Feeding a variety of green foods offers a number of nutrients. One of my favorite vegetables to feed is broccoli, a rich source of fiber, with moderate amounts of vitamins A, C, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and calcium. After a thorough washing, I cut up the stalks and florets, and place them in stainless steel bowls containing pellets. The bowls are hung high near the upper branches of each flight. The birds eat the floret and enjoy chewing the stalks. Another high fiber food I serve in this manner is corn on the cob, which also offers other beneficial nutrients. Fruit Fruits that are a rich source of vitamin A include: mangos, cantaloupe, persimmons, and to a lesser extent, apricots, nectarines, papayas, tomatoes and peaches. These fruits can be cut up and presented in a variety of styles until you hit upon the shape and size your birds prefer. Always be certain to remove fruit pits. Cherry pits are known to be deadly, and other fruit pits may contain trace amounts of cyanide and are dangerous to your birds. However, over the years, I have fed small amounts of pomegranate and seen birds eat apple seeds with no ill effect. Cockatiels can be taught to eat a little fruit. Some of my own pet and breeding cockatiels enjoy |
| "Providing Resources to the Cockatiel Community" The Cockatiel Foundation, founded in June 2007, began out of a growing need in the avicultural community to offer its members programs for pet owners, breeders and exhibitors, in addition to services never before addressed in the cockatiel community. CF is establishing a Cockatiel Adoption & Placement Program to hrlp in the placement and rehoming of cockatiels to new, permanent "forever" homes. CF offers a wealth of information on color genetics, mutations, and breeding research. CF is addressing the needs of our Youth Members in the CF Youth & Education Program developed for tomorrows' next generation of cockatiel afficionados. Please visit our unique LOST & FOUND Center to report and reunite birds with their owners! Joining the Foundation When you join the Foundation as a Member, you will receive many benefits, including the Cockatiel Chronicle and have access to the Members' Only Yahoo Group for chat, PHOTO CONTEST, Members' Articles & more! Please read about our Membership benefits and peruse the website. COME JOIN US! |
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